BACKGROUND:

Legislation that would severely impact community living and employment support services for adults will likely be introduced in the next few weeks that will include block grants and per capita caps. Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) are optional services made available through the Medicaid Program.Medicaid currently is a joint federal-state program that operates whereby the federal government pays a percentage of the costs (as high as 74% in some states). As spending increases, the federal government match rises. Under the per capita caps and block grants now being proposed, the government would set a limit on how much to reimburse states per enrollee.

The per capita growth amounts would be set below the projected rates of growth and would not be based on the needs of the individual.

A block grant would set a base amount of funding to the state that would only be increased by inflation and give the state the flexibility to decide who will get services what services they will get.

THE GOAL IS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURES OVER TIME.

Home and Community Based Services that enable people with disabilities to have such services as employment support, assistance with medical appointments, cooking, cleaning, self-care, managing day-to-day planning could be reduced or the costs of services could be shifted to the individual or family. Families cannot bear the cost of such services.

Support services under the Medicaid proposal currently in the House of Representatives would put your child at risk for losing services that will allow him or her to live and work (earn wages) independently in the community.

Waiting lists to get funding for services would quickly grow

Children’s services such as in-home health care support and waiver services could be reduced or eliminated.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Tell your personal story and how these changes would affect your family! Representatives need to hear from their constituents. There is great power in the grassroots. To find out who your Representative is, go to http://www.house.gov/.

Call or visit your Representative and tell him/her that per capita caps and block grants will wipe out the Medicaid program that provides virtually all funding for these services. Your calls and visits are important and have an impact. You can use the talking points above.